BUSINESS

Key chapters in the history of Facebook, the world's biggest social media application, launched 20 years ago.

A simple hangout spot for young people when it arrived on the scene 20 years ago, Facebook has since become a battle-hardened behemoth with an insatiable appetite for your attention.

Wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva smiles as he gushes on his love of Brazilian music, and then segues into a barstool-style dissertation on football.

Argentina's lower house of Congress on Wednesday began what is expected to be a marathon debate on President Javier Milei's mega-bill to reform the economy, politics and even some aspects of private life.

The United States on Wednesday implored Sudan's authorities to let aid into the country, denouncing holdups as the war between rival generals leaves millions in need of help.

Protests that halted tourism at Peru's famed Incan citadel Machu Picchu for six days have been called off after an agreement between the government and residents, both sides said Wednesday.

Several guitars put up for sale by Mark Knopfler, the former frontman of British rock group Dire Straits, on Wednesday fetched hundreds of thousands of pounds each at auction.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed Wednesday to rally European partners to cobble together support for Ukraine "so huge" that it would weigh on Russian President Vladimir Putin's calculations.

Myanmar's military will do "whatever it takes" to crush opposition to its rule, its top general said on Wednesday, after the junta extended a state of emergency and further delayed elections.

Kosovo said Wednesday that it will not immediately enforce a ban on the use of the Serbian dinar there after an outcry from Western governments.

The United Nations' top court on Wednesday mostly rejected Ukraine's claims that Russia was financing "terrorism" in eastern Ukraine, saying only that Moscow had failed to investigate alleged breaches.

A controversial Alzheimer's drug that was trumpeted as the first to ever treat the cognitive decline associated with the devastating brain disorder has been pulled from the market, its maker Biogen announced Wednesday.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the chief executives of X, TikTok, Discord and Snap face a grilling by US lawmakers on Wednesday over the dangers that social media platforms bring to children and teens.

Private sector hiring in the United States slowed more than anticipated this month, according to data Wednesday from payroll firm ADP, following efforts to cool the world's biggest economy and tame inflation.

Boeing reported a smaller than expected loss Wednesday, while pledging to take "comprehensive" actions to bolster quality control after a near-catastrophic 737 MAX flight earlier this month.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk posted bumper profits for 2023 on Wednesday, driven by blockbuster sales of diabetes and obesity treatments that helped it become Europe's most valuable company.

Kosovo may be on the verge of a fresh crisis after the government threatened to ban the use of Serbian money this week, with a chorus of Western countries warning it could ignite a firestorm.

H&M chief executive Helena Helmersson announced Wednesday she was stepping down, sending shares in the fashion retailer tumbling as the Swedish company reported lower-than-expected profits in the fourth quarter.

Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party, which won most seats at the last election, was Wednesday ordered to stop campaigning to reform the kingdom's tough royal defamation laws, as a top court ruled the policy was unlawful.

Spanish banking giant Santander posted a record 11.1-billion-euro ($12 billion) net profit for 2023 on Wednesday as higher interest rates and a rise in global clients helped to cushion the impact of a windfall tax.

Convoys of tractors edged closer to Paris, Lyon and other strategic locations in France on Wednesday, as thousands of protesting farmers appeared to ignore warnings of police intervention if they cross red lines laid down by the government.

While most of the world treats Afghanistan's Taliban government as a pariah, China is growing diplomatic and economic links -- and Kabul is happy for the attention.

China overtook Japan as the world's biggest vehicle exporter last year, data from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association showed Wednesday.

Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party, which won most seats at the last election, faces a crunch court ruling Wednesday on the legality of its campaign pledge to reform the kingdom's tough royal defamation laws.

Retired nurse Nga put her life savings into a bond at Vietnam's SCB bank, but now cannot access her money after being caught up with tens of thousands in a multibillion-dollar scam that has shocked the nation.

Once a byword for environmental disaster due to its heavy industry and mining, the city of Bitterfeld-Wolfen is poised to become a key site for Germany's ambitious green transition.

Online betting giant Flutter this week took the first step to switch its main listing from London to New York, in a fresh post-Brexit blow to the City finance district.

Asian equities struggled again Wednesday after a mixed performance on Wall Street, with traders keenly awaiting what the Federal Reserve has to say after its much-anticipated policy meeting later in the day.

The US Federal Reserve is almost certain to hold its key lending rate steady for a fourth consecutive meeting Wednesday, as inflation continues to inch closer towards its long-term target of two percent.